Produce Briefs...
Calamondin Limes
The Calamondin lime, scientific name, X Citrofortunella mitis & Citrus microcarpa, is also known as the lime orange, Chinese orange or Calamondin orange.
Salanova® Lettuces
Salanova® lettuce is a full-sized variety developed for the baby lettuce market. Botanically these varieties are scientifically known as Lactuca sativa.
Pinkglow™ Pineapple
Pinkglow™ pineapples are small to medium fruits with an oval to cylindrical shape.
Tejocote Fruits
Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Tejocote fruits are small, averaging 1 to 3 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to oval shape, attached to slender fibrous stems. The thin skin is smooth with a light, textured feel and bears variegated hues of bright yellow, orange, and red. The skin is also frequently covered in black dots, freckles, and patches. Underneath the surface, the yellow to cream-colored flesh is soft, dry, mealy, and pithy, encasing 3 to 5 hard, brown seeds. It is important to note that the flesh immediately oxidizes once exposed to the air and turns a dark brown shade. Tejocote fruits have a sour, astringent, and tangy flavor with subtle green and fruity, guava-like notes. When the fruits are cooked, the flesh will soften and absorb accompanying flavors, developing a sweeter, more palatable taste.
Seasons/Availability
Tejocote fruits are available in the fall through the winter.
Current Facts
Tejocote fruits, botanically classified as Crataegus Mexicana, are pome fruits that grow on a small tree reaching up to 10 meters in height, belonging to the Rosaceae family. The hardwood tree is a species of hawthorne, sometimes known as Mexican hawthorne, and is an ornamental plant highly valued in Mexico for its sweet and sour fruits. Tejocote fruits are also known as Manzanita, translating to “little apple,” but despite the fruit’s similarity in appearance to tiny apples, the fruits are only distantly related. The name Tejocote is derived from the word texocotl in the ancient Aztec Nahuatl language and roughly translates to mean “a fruit that is bitter and hard as stone.” Tejocote fruits are widely associated with the fall and winter season, utilized throughout Mexico in holiday candies, punches, and sauces. The fruits also gained notoriety as one of the most smuggled fruits into the United States in the early 21st century. During this time, Tejocote fruits were illegal to import due to invasive pests and were not cultivated in the United States on a large scale, significantly limiting the fruit’s availability. With increasing seizures of Tejocote fruits at the border, American farmers began cultivating the fruits to create a domestic supply to meet the annual holiday demand.
Nutritional Value
Tejocote fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that strengthens the immune system, boosts collagen production, and reduces inflammation. The fruits are also a good source of pectin, a starch that helps to thicken preserves and sauces, and contains lower amounts of iron, calcium, and B vitamins. In Mexican natural medicines, Tejocote fruits are simmered with other ingredients and used as a syrup to reduce the severity of coughs and sore throats.
Applications
Tejocote fruits can be eaten fresh, but they are generally preferred for use in cooked applications to reduce the flesh’s astringency. When raw, Tejocote fruits can be consumed straight, out-of-hand, sliced, deseeded, and tossed into salads, or used whole as an edible prize with oranges, peanuts, and tangerines in Christmas pinatas. In addition to fresh applications, the fruits can be cooked into a sauce for roasted meats, incorporated as a tamale filling, simmered in sugar, cinnamon, and water as a candied treat, or cooked into fruit cheese, jams, and jellies. In Mexico, Tejocote fruits are famously used for ponche, which is a traditional holiday punch. The warm beverage combines Tejocote fruits with spices, guava, and sugar cane, but there are many other variations using piloncillo or dark brown sugar, oranges, apples, tamarind, and hibiscus flowers. Tejocote fruits are also canned for extended use. Tejocote fruits pair well with meats such as pork, poultry, and turkey, fruits such as oranges, tangerines, apples, and guavas, spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and anise, brown sugar, and cane sugar. Whole fruits will keep up to one week when stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Tejocote fruits are a traditional food placed on altars during the Day of The Dead celebrations in Mexico. The nationally recognized holiday can be traced back to pre-Hispanic times when the Aztecs worshipped Mictecacihuatl, the goddess of death and ruler over festivals of the dead. While the Aztec ritual commonly lasted for a month, the celebrations have been shortened over time, typically being celebrated between October 28th to November 2nd. During the Day of The Dead celebrations, families create altars dedicated to the deceased as a symbol of remembrance, and they also place fruits and snacks on the altars to nourish traveling spirits as they make their way into the afterlife. Tejocote fruits are one of the main decorative and edible fruits used on the altars and are strung into garlands, necklaces, or rosaries, draped as decoration and an offering. The small fruits are also often paired with oranges, seen as a symbol of fresh food in the winter season when fruits were typically difficult to find. Beyond raw preparations, Tejocote fruits are cooked in a spiced syrup, known as dulce de Tejocote, and are placed as a sweet treat on the altars as a snack for the traveling spirits. The fruits are also cooked with sugar and chili powder to make rielitos, a type of Mexican candy, and are placed on small plates to display on the altars.
Geography/History
Tejocote fruits are native to areas of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range in Mexico and extend into Guatemala. The ancient fruits have been growing wild for thousands of years and are extensively cultivated in Mexico as a holiday culinary ingredient. Tejocote fruits were once commonly smuggled across the US-Mexico border, but in 1990, the first commercial orchard for Tejocote fruits was established in San Diego. It took over ten years for the orchard to produce the fruits, but with increased cultivation within the United States, the demand for smuggled fruits drastically decreased. In the modern-day, Tejocote fruits are grown on a small scale in the United States, sold through Mexican markets, farmers markets, and specialty grocers, and the majority of the Tejocote fruits sold in Mexican markets are also commercially cultivated, with very few fruits being gathered from wild trees. Tejocote fruits are mainly grown in the Mexican states of Puebla, Nuevo Leon, Veracruz, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosi. The fruits are also grown in Guatemala and have been planted in select regions of the Andes Mountains in South America.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Tejocote Fruits. One
is easiest, three is harder.Recently Shared
People have shared Tejocote Fruits using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
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Specialty Produce
Near San Diego, California, United StatesAbout 185 days ago, 12/24/21 Sharer's comments : Tejacote for your holiday punch!! 
Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market
Sweet Seasons
Near Los Angeles, California, United StatesAbout 188 days ago, 12/21/21 
Specialty Produce
Near San Diego, California, United StatesAbout 196 days ago, 12/13/21 Sharer's comments : Tejocote Apples from 3 Nuts Farm for your Holiday Punch! 
City Heights Farmers Market
Bernardino Loera Farms
Near San Diego, California, United StatesFallbrook, CA About 198 days ago, 12/11/21 
Specialty Produce
Near San Diego, California, United StatesAbout 530 days ago, 1/13/21 Sharer's comments : Tejocote from 3 Nut Farm! 
Specialty Produce
Near San Diego, California, United StatesAbout 556 days ago, 12/18/20 Sharer's comments : Awwweeee yyyeeeaaahh get that Ponche! 🍹 |
